


946,707,779 Seconds

by Curious_Reader



Category: Outlander & Related Fandoms, Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2016-08-18
Packaged: 2018-08-09 11:51:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7800778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Curious_Reader/pseuds/Curious_Reader
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For Claire and Jamie's 30th wedding anniversary she has planned for a few gifts throughout his day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	946,707,779 Seconds

**Author's Note:**

> I have played with some details, just so you’re aware.  
> The song mentioned is Dinah Shore’s “I’ll walk alone” released in 1944.

Claire had been planning this for months, she wanted everything to be perfect. Unfortunately, a lot of her plans would rely on luck and trusting that she knew Jamie well enough to predict his movements throughout the day. She knew that at any given time he could be pulled by a tenant or the needs and unpredictability of life on the ridge. Marsali, the Bugs, and Brianna had all agreed to help her plant the items and verify where he would be throughout the day as unobtrusively as possible.

They had finished setting the items up later than they had hoped. Returning home, she was surprised to be welcomed without so much as a raised eyebrow as to the late hour; but Claire knew Jamie knew the approaching date, and knew he wouldn’t question it. It was their 30th wedding anniversary and Jamie would spend the day finding small gifts and notes representing the years of their marriage.

In the morning Jamie woke to two things: a snoring wife and a note on the bedside table that caught his eye as he moved out of bed. When he opened the note, he smiled “ _Je t'aime_ ”. He turned to kiss Claire’s temple, taking a moment to just breath her in. He kissed her again and began to ready himself for the day.

Finishing breakfast, he made his way candle in hand to the study to check some notes he had and verify what he had to do for the day. Opening the door, he was met with a blast of cool air. June it may be, but this early in the morning a fire was still needed. He walked towards the fireplace, stopping when he smelt it, peat. On the top of a small pile of bricks was a torn piece of cloth with a heart drawn on it. Astonished, he just stood there smelling it, smelling home, smelling Scotland. Placing the brick down, he checked what he needed and left smiling.

By careful design today would not be a busy day, Jamie was sure he’d be able to get most of what needed to be done long before supper. Passing Mr. Bug with a warm greeting, he entered the stable and began to ready his horse. Reaching for his saddle, another note caught his eye as it fluttered to the floor. Inside he read,

“ _I’ll walk alone because to tell you the truth I'll be lonely_  
_I don't mind being lonely_  
_When my heart tells me you are lonely too_

_I'll walk alone, they'll ask me why and I'll tell them I'd rather_  
_There are dreams I must gather_  
_Dreams we fashioned the night you held me tight_

_I'll always be near you wherever you are each night in every prayer_

_Just whisper I'll hear you, no matter how far_  
_So close your eyes and I'll be there_

_Please walk alone but send your love and your kisses to guide me_  
_Till you're walking beside me, I'll walk alone_  
_Darling all by myself I'll walk alone_ ”

Frowning in confusion he read the note again, it read like lyrics. To no song he had ever heard though; the words were beautiful and sad. He smiled slightly as something tugged at his heart, sudden worry for her rushed through He wished to go to Claire and wrap her up in his arms, but couldn’t bring himself to go. Everything was fine, he knew that. Jamie knew that she was still up at the house, just starting her day; safe, everything was fine.

Jamie continued about his day and with each stop he made, a note awaited him. the next was a story he had never been told before. He read and reread the story of Two-year-old Brianna deciding that the “ _doggie_ ”, a very patient Labrador named Rex needed powders and lip paint as well as Claire’s jewelry so he could “ _be pretty too!_ ” with a mix of tears and laughter.  
Well accustomed by this time to the pang of loss he felt when hearing of the things he had missed during Brianna’s life, he was always eager to hear more, wanted to know everything, pain be damned. A good thing he thought as the day progressed, as he found three more notes throughout the day, all were stories of Brianna.

Brianna, coming home from school in tears after being made fun of for her red hair. Claire soothing her, telling her she had the most beautiful hair; and relaying the fairytales she had been told of a queen with fair skin and hair like hers, named Ellen.

Claire, catching twelve-year-old Brianna kissing 13-year-old Kevin Fletcher behind the kitchen door. Kevin’s sputtering explanations after he noticed he clearing her throat. The stifled laughter that was the result of Kevin running towards the door so quickly he slipped and fell, needing Claire to stitch up a gash on his elbow while he blushed furiously.  
Brianna, being so excited when she received her acceptance letter to the university. She screamed loud enough to send the dog into hiding, picked her mother up, spun her around, and then promptly fainted.

Jamie hadn’t cried so much in years. He sat down by the water trying to compose himself before going home. Every emotion passed through him, love for his wife and the small meddling toddler, parental protection against young Kevin, and astonishing pride for her going to university. After splashing water on his face he made his way to the house eager to be with Claire, to just hold her and talk, asking the many questions he had.

The house was empty. He decided to take the plate of food that had been left for him to the office and update the ledgers and finish a few correspondences before Claire got home; smiling again as he passed the peat bricks on way to his desk.

The ledger was already opened, he Looked more closely, noticing a small strawberry sitting on the first page. The names he saw were theirs: his, Claire’s, Ian’s. He smiled again, nothing was easy all the time, they had lived through some very worrying times in the last few years and he knew more would come. But, in this moment, on this day, things were calm. Finally, they had here what they never had before, a stable life, a stable home.

Jamie smiled through the rest of his work only noticing how late it had gotten when the candle burned out. He hadn’t heard anyone, didn’t hear Claire rustling about; thinking that she might have slipped in while he wrote he searched the house again. The ground level coming up empty and he made his way upstairs.

Opening their bedroom door, he was welcomed by the smell of peat smoke, the soft light of many candles, and Claire. She looked just as she did on their wedding night. Closing the door, he walked towards her and took in every detail he could.

Her hair was loose about her shoulders, she wore nothing but her shift and his mother’s pearls. At the sight of the pearls he froze.  
Every word he knew, in every language he knew were lost him. His heart raced, and he just looked at her trying to save the image before him forever.

Holding her arms out to him, she said “I have loved you for 360 months, 1,565 weeks, 10,957 days, 262,974 hours, 15,778,463 minutes. Happy anniversary my love.”


End file.
